​ The San
Bernardino County Fire Department urges homeowners and residents to make sure their
smoke detectors are working and to have a Home Pre-Fire Plan.

Wednesday
November 4, 2014, at approx. 6:35 P.M. San Bernardino County Fire Department
received a 9-1-1 call for a reported structure fire in Crestline, CA. Upon
arrival, firefighters found a well established fire surrounding thefireplace
chimney with obvious extension into the attic area to the rear of the
residence. Firefighters immediately assured the residence was evacuated and
went into attack mode to control the flames.

The
home, a heavy timber log cabin style construction, slowed the spread of the
fire, but made access to several small areas of the attic difficult. It took firefighters
approximately an hour to access all the affected areas and be assured the fire
was under control.

The
fire caused heavy damage to the roof and attic area with smoke and heat damage
to the third floor. The origin of the fire appears to be the chimney area,
although the specific cause remains under investigation. A preliminary estimate
is approximately $150,000 in structural damage, with an additional $200,000 in
structural elements being saved.

Additionally,
at least 50% of the contents were able to be saved through salvage operations –
including a vintage Corvette automobile that was able to be removed from the
residence undamaged.

San
Bernardino County Fire Department provided seven Fire Engines, two Paramedic
Ambulances and a Battalion Chief to contain and control the structure fire.
Running Springs Fire also provided an Engine to assist. U.S.F.S. and CalFire
provided a total of four engines to help assure the fire would not spread into
the surrounding vegetation.

During
firefighting operations, San Bernardino County Sheriffs provided evacuation
operations to the adjacent residences. All residents were allowed to return
within the same hour. The excellent cooperative relationship between the San
Bernardino County Fire Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff, Running
Springs Fire Department, United States Forest Service and CalFire helped contribute
to the success of this difficult operation. No injuries were reported.

Visit
www.sbcfire.org for more information on Residential Pre-Fire Plans and Fire Safety.